Microsoft has unveiled a staggering $2.2 billion initiative spanning four years, dedicated to fortifying Malaysia’s technological landscape through expansive cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) ventures.
Marking the tech titan’s most substantial investment in Malaysia in its 32-year history, the endeavor encompasses the establishment of cutting-edge cloud and AI infrastructure, fostering AI proficiency among 200,000 individuals, and empowering the nation’s developer community.
In addition to bolstering local capabilities, Microsoft intends to forge strategic alliances with the Malaysian government to institute a “national AI Centre of Excellence” and augment the nation’s cybersecurity prowess.
Microsoft’s skilling commitment is expected to benefit 200,000 people in Malaysia by providing:
- technical and vocational education and training students with AI skills through the AI TEACH Malaysia program
- women with opportunities and support to build careers in cybersecurity via the Ready4AI&Security program
- young people with AI fluency training to enhance the employability and work readiness of those from underserved and underrepresented communities
- employees of non-profit organizations with knowledge of, and skills in, AI and digital technologies.
The commitment builds on Microsoft’s other recent skilling activities in Malaysia, including its success in providing digital skills to more than 1.53 million Malaysians as part of the Bersama Malaysia initiative.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, following a productive meeting with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on May 2, lauded the investment as a pivotal step towards advancing Malaysia’s AI prowess. Echoing this sentiment during his visit to Kuala Lumpur, Nadella emphasized the imperative of cultivating world-class infrastructure within Malaysia to democratize access to transformative technologies for organizations and startups alike.
According to forecasts by global consultancy Kearney, AI stands poised to inject a staggering $1 trillion into Southeast Asia’s GDP by 2030, with Malaysia projected to capture a significant share amounting to $115 billion.
Strengthen AI and cybersecurity capabilities
Microsoft will also collaborate with the National Cyber Security Agency of Malaysia (NACSA) through the Perisai Siber (Cyber Shield) initiative to enhance the country’s cybersecurity capabilities. The collaboration will focus on promoting security and resilience in the public sector through security assessments and capacity building.
They also include pioneering AI adoption in the public sector through projects with:
- the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) to better analyze economic trajectories of different negotiating partners in international trade negotiations
- Cradle, an agency under Malaysia’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, which is leveraging Azure OpenAI Service to develop a virtual information assistant for its MYStartup platform, the ‘Single Window’ to Malaysia’s startup ecosystem, launched at the KL20 Summit recently
- the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and the Malaysia Energy Commission, which will adopt Copilot for Microsoft 365 to enhance workplace productivity.
This commitment echoes Microsoft’s steadfast dedication to nurturing AI ecosystems worldwide, evidenced by recent multi-billion dollar investments in Spain and Germany, aimed at fortifying Europe’s technological prowess.
As Big Tech giants intensify their focus on AI development, initiatives like Google’s “AI Opportunity Initiative for Europe” underscore a collaborative approach towards equipping individuals with essential AI skills and averting workforce displacement.
In past months Microsoft has also announced investments in European countries like Spain, Germany with over $4 billion